Music, like most things in life, is best enjoyed with other people. But how do you know when you need to add a new member to your team and get an artist manager?
This blog will take you through…
What does an artist manager actually do?
What advantages will an artist manager bring?
How to find an artist manager?
And when should you start looking for one?
So what does an artist manager actually do?
Let’s delve in. To put it simply, an artist manager will let you focus on the music. Their day-to-day business could include the following;
- Business deals with labels, venue owners, promoters and distributors
- Helping coordinate your finances, your taxes, your merchandise and other business avenues. This could also include finding sponsors and working alongside sync agencies to maximise your income.
- Building your brand as you grow including hiring tour managers, accountants, lawyers, international representation, PR agents and more.
- They can also be an essential way for you to meet and collaborate with new artists and agents. Having the right agent can open a lot of doors in your career.
- They’ll also help guide your career from start to finish. Whether that’s advice about record labels and collaborations to giving their professional feedback on which single to release next, you can lean on their experience and work through your career together.
Ultimately, they can take a lot of the business and admin pressures off you so you can concentrate on your music and your brand.
So what will they charge?
In return for this, an artist manager will expect a cut of your income. The amount depends on the negotiation, their experience and the level your career is at, but the figure often ranges from 15% to 35%.
That can sound like a lot of money, but it’s important to take into account the positive impact the right person can have on your career.
What advantages will having an artist manager give you?
The paragraph above listed a lot of the main advantages. An artist manager will free up your time to concentrate on your music. But there are a lot of other benefits as well.
One of the main advantages is you get access to your manager’s contacts.
Like any industry, getting ahead can often be about networking and who you know. And while it can be hard to network and collaborate as an artist, it’s an artist manager’s job to be connected.
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So use their connections to your advantage!
Having an artist manager might also help make your music, brand and career seem more official. It can be a bit superficial, but the larger your brand and the more people it employs, the more official you look.
How to find an artist manager?
If you’re at the early stages of your career, it can often make sense to look close to home.
A friend or family member will know your career, where you started. They will also understand the dream of where you want to get to.
Plus you’ll already be friends, which can be very important when things get stressful.
However, working with friends isn’t for everyone. So ask other artists, acts or bands for any recommendations. And if you have an international footprint already, try contacting established agencies to see if they’re looking for artists to represent.
Once you do find someone you’d like to work with, you might need to convince them to come on board and work with you.
So it’s a good idea to put together a presentation and your current career plan. Read our S.M.A.R.T goals blog for more ideas.
Working with an artist manager is ultimately all about trust. Building that up can take time, but it should ideally be someone you can spend long periods with and that you trust their opinion.
When should you start looking for one?
Thanks to the arrival of the internet and social media, it’s never been easier for an artist to take control of their career. So why shouldn’t that be the same for being your own artist manager?
A lot of small artists will agree with you.
There will, hopefully, come a time when you’re making music, releasing music, negotiating contracts and generally hustling. Resulting that you start to wish you could clone yourself.
When your career starts to lift off and you get swamped with admin, that’s a good sign that you need to expand your team.
When you’re answering emails at 2am, writing music at 8am, and working every hour you have, it’s time to look for help and take that next step in your career.
Conclusion
There are a lot of reasons why getting an artist manager makes sense for your career. The big questions you need to answer are
a) finding the right person you trust to take your career in the right direction and
b) ensuring it’s the right time in your career to make that decision.
If you wish to know more then please check out these other helpful blogs.
How To DIY Your Own Music Video For Free
A Step-By-Step Guide To Middle East Streaming Site
Promote Your Music With These 7 Tips And Get More Fans
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